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Our bus followed the Mantaro River through the Andes from Huancayo to La Oroya. We saw the river turn a dark brown color. We saw the mountains change from gray and green to white. The white had nothing to do with snow, but everything to do with contamination. We literally saw the poison that is slowly killing the environment and slowly killing the residents of La Oroya.
La Oroya, Peru is one of the top 10 most contaminated cities in the world. It is by far the most disgusting place I have ever seen in my life. The visible contamination of the earth is haunting; the invisible contamination of some 12,000 kids is even more haunting. 99% of the kids in La Oroya have elevated levels of lead in their blood.
Our entrance into the city left me speechless and my eyes filled with tears. As we passed Doe Run Peru, the smelting plant that is responsible for so much of the contamination, there was little to say. We watched brown waste flowing from the pipes of the company into the murky waters of the Mantaro River. We passed a smoke stack that hovered over the mountain city of
Celebrating the environment
The kids of Cambialo filled the streets of La Oroya with smiles and energy 33,000 people much like the bully that this US owned company has become.
It felt hard to breathe. Partly because of the high altitude, partly because I still had a cold, mainly because the rush of anger and sadness was overwhelming. Where was the hope?
And then it passed us. Bright-eyed, smiling kids wearing green shirts and holding green balloons were marching down one lane of the main road through town. The ones in front held a big banner that said "CAMBIALO" (Change it). Some of the kids were dressed in animal costumes. As our bus passed them, their smiles and waves brought us out of our stupor and we offered our own smiles and waves. Their energy was contagious. They were just part of the kids celebrating the International Day of the Environment.
It was hard not to smile after we passed them. But then our bus stopped and we got out. Once again we saw the white, nasty mountains and the houses that were nestled in them. Once again we saw the dark brown water of the Mantaro River. There was a slight acidic odor in the air. Once again we were reminded that we
Voices of truth
Lionela (12), Aldair (10), Jhobaya (13) and Pamela (11) tell us their stories with courage and enthusiasm were in one of the most contaminated cities in the world.
We were led into the office space of Filomena Tomaira Pacsi, one of the partner organizations of the Joining Hands Peru network. Filomena is an NGO that was founded in 1985 to help fight poverty. In 1992 the organization found its home in La Oroya and began to work more specifically towards monitoring and fighting the contamination of the city and empowering the city's women and children to fight for their rights. "Our goal is to make the whole world aware," Esther, the director of Filomena, told us. "Nothing has been easy, everyone has been threatened. It's hard, but it hasn't been impossible because of you all. It's been on the TV all around the world. The people here don't like that, but we keep on going." Esther was a pillar of strength before us. She offered us the history of the organization and Filomena's motives for fighting. She explained how Doe Run has not completed its contract to clean up its practices and how the Peruvian government has allowed Doe Run to abuse its rights. She also explained that while many of the Cambialo kids were marching
Scars
The mountains of La Oroya are as sick as the people are for the environment, many parents of other kids were protesting for their right to work. Because while the kids have had cleaner air to breathe for the past year while the plant has been temporarily shut down, it has meant that 3,000 workers have lost their job. It was clear that Filomena's fight isn't easy. Tears occasionally filled her eyes.
The loudest voices of the La Oroya campaign then began to fill the room. One by one the kids that we'd seen earlier out in the street entered. They were the kids of Cambialo, Filomena's children's organization. Some had on the green Camibalo shirts, others animal costumes. Within just a few minutes it was clear that 11-year-old Pamela was the group's spokeswoman. Her energy was bubbling out of her scooby doo costume. With a sparkle in her eyes and a cheerful tone in her voice, she told us why she and her friends were there. Together they had become the voices speaking out against the injustice and the pollution that has been contaminating their very own bodies. Pamela and the 12 other kids of Cambialo have stepped up to the plate. They are finding their voices and making them
The reality
Houses are nestled in the contaminated mountains in La Oroya. The Mantaro River is incredibly contaminated as well heard in a place that is as complex as the metals it smelts.
This story doesn't end here. These kids are speaking up more and more and Joining Hands is helping to have their voices heard. These are kids that aspire to be police officers and chemists and human rights lawyers. These are kids that aren't afraid to say the truth. When asked what they wanted their US visitors to know, they didn't hesitate to tell us. "It's not just that we're sick and they're healthy, but everyone is sick. We want them to stand up for the environment there, too. We're all in this together." Amen.
As our bus drove out of town through the mountains, we turned back and saw a rainbow. There is hope in La Oroya. We all need to work together to change it.
Cámbialo.
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kyle
non-member comment
So glad that you're there and you get to experience this first hand--it's such a shame that things like this happen without us even thinking twice about it...but i do know that you're going to have an amazing summer trying to figure out how you/we as americans fit in and i can't wait to see you when you get back to hear all about your experiences. enjoy your time there and i'm glad this experience is giving you some direction